Sunday, June 14, 2009

Podcastin' luv :)

What does an EVE player (or any other game for that matter) do when he's stuck out of game every other week and forums and killboards have been read 20 times? He listens to podcasts of course! I started listening to podcasts just after I got into EVE and since then I've started to listen to podcasts that talk about other games too, and more. Here is a short list with links and reviews of what I like listening to when sitting in public transit on my way to work:

BOZOKast: Where better to start but with my old alliance mates' podcast about massive amounts of The PvP in Syndicate space, helmed by Quebnaric Deile and Teister, with collaborators Tolarus, Jel Malar, Arancia Detto (amongst others), and with Vibenation2 controlling the sound apps. Beware though: the dark humor, politically incorrectness and foul language may not be for the faint of heart, but I'm not so I love every second of it! It was inspired by the crazy stuff that gets said over the Bozo comms. And just so you know, things do get even crazier on the Bozo comms than on the podcast, especially after a big fight where comm discipline is very strict but extremely effective. One of the new-comers of the EVE podcasts, they are nonetheless pretty regular at updating, unless they start shooting at a juicy target.

Fly Reckless: When flying safe is just no damn fun! Brought to fame by Silicon Buddha, this podcast has been revitalized by Atraxerxes after Buddha needed a break from EVE. The first few episodes helmed by Ax were slighty "experimental" as far as sound quality and format went, but being regular at updating means that experience is seriously starting to show and now Ax is putting out an excellent product. This podcast has regular in-game news, dev blogs for those like me that don't read 'em, tips for players young and old, CSM news, etc. Every EVE player should listen to this to stay on top of what is going on in EVE.

Podded: Back after a pretty long break, this is the EVE podcast with the British twist. I haven't yet listened to all the new episodes but from what I see this podcast is back on a weekly basis so the news will be as fresh as can be until someone is crazy enough to start a daily EVE show. Not THAT would be nuts !!!

Warp Drive Active: The first podcast I listened to after getting into this EVE thing. Back then it was pretty regular with fresh news and all, but slowly Real Life caught up with helmsmen Winterblink and Urban Mongral and episodes have come out further and further apart, though even if they are late they are tons of fun to listen to. I hope that this podcast makes a comeback to its former glory because it would sadden me to see them drift into the void.

The Drone Bay and MicroWarpCast: Starring among others fellow blogger and Montrealer CrazyKinux, these podcasts also fell victims to the rigors of Real Life just when the quality was getting up there. The Drone Bay has seen a few special episodes starring Crovan and a slew of guests from CCP, but unfortunately MWC has been out of action for over 7 months now. Yep, Real Life is a Bitch!

No prisoners, no mercy: Another one from the VirginWorlds Collective, this podcast started out covering mostly Warhammer Online and World of Warcraft but is now covering other games as well, including EVE. The special thing about this podcast: it is hosted by real life nuns! Sister Julie and Sister Fran give various news and tips about various games, get Mad As Hell (tm) from time to time, and call in fellow blogger and real-life Buddy Of Awesomeness Letrange for information about EVE. The last episode he was in was basically a crash course for the EVE newbie and is very much worth listening to.

Other VirginWorlds Collective podcasts: The other VWC podcasts are also very interesting, although some have not seen any updates for over a year. My three favorite ones apart from the ones listed above would be Shut Up We're Talking (general MMO podcast), VanHemlock (also general MMO podcast), and Through The Aftermath (post-apocalyptic gaming podcast).

F1 Rejects: As some of you may already know, I'm a speed freak. Therefore I love F1! No, I'm not one of those NASCAR fans that cry about "there's not enough passing... WAAA!". I'm all about going as fast as bloody well possible, and NOTHING can even touch an F1 car on a road course. Oh, and they turn right too; ever seen the Eau Rouge corner at Spa-Francorchamps? It makes me wet my pants each time I blast through it, and that's only in a sim! This podcast and site was made in honor of those back-of-the-grid pilots and teams who would otherwise have faded into nothingness. Never heard of Enrico Bertaggia? Jacques Villeneuve, the uncle? Coloni? Fondmetal? Well, this is the place where these names are enshrined. The podcast also has up-to-date news on the F1 world, and very good post-race reviews where of course, a reject of the race is named, for example Sebastian Vettel for slamming his car out of a podium finish at Monaco this year.

And there you go. Now plug in that MP3 player of yours and start downloading all that podcasting goodness to make your commute or day go by faster :))